On December 12, Shizuoka Prefecture announced that China Eastern Airlines, based in Shanghai, will operate eight regular weekly flights (four roundtrip) on a new international route between Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport -scheduled to open next year between the cities of Shimada and Makinohara- and Shanghai Pudong International Airport.

After the new airport opens, flights are planned for Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Details on flight schedules and aircraft will be made known when a decision for the airport’s opening day is announced.

Governor Ishikawa of Shizuoka Prefecture commented, “Considering previous requests for Chinese routes, I’m grateful for the decision to open this airport. I’ve been told that operating four weekly flights to Shanghai from the time it opens is really exceptional, and I’ve heard good things about the prefecture’s great potential.” The only other regional airports operating four or more weekly roundtrip flights to Shanghai are Fukuoka, Okayama, Hiroshima, and Komatsu.

It was also learned from Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport the other day that Swiss carrier Edelweiss Air announced it will operate charter flights there starting in July next year, and that Korean Air officially stated on December 22 that it will fly to Mt. Fuji Shizuoka on its Seoul route.